According to several sources, there are 30 to 50 million people in the world who are lactose intolerant. In the 1960's and 1970's, it was reported that 70% of the adults in the world had lactose intolerance. In 1995, it was reported that 75% of the adults in the world and 25% of the adults in the U.S. were categorized as being lactose intolerant. In 1994, it was reported that 75% of African Americans and Native Americans and 90% of Asian Americans had lactose intolerance. It has also been reported that 30% of adults who are mostly North Western and North American descendants of the Europeans, have adapted to high lactase activity into adulthood. Research concludes that this adaption is genetically controlled, permanent and related to a long tradition of milk and milk products consumption in these regions of the world.
If an individual suspects that he has lactose intolerance, it is potentially harmful for him to restrict his diet since it may result in a nutrition shortage or a failure to detect a more serious disease. Mile and other diary products are major sources for nutrition in the basic American diet. The primary nutrients in milk are protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin A, and vitamin D. Calcium is an important part of the recommended daily allowances of vitamins and minerals and any deficiency therein can lead to osteoporosis.
Lactose is not digested when the amount of lactose consumed exceeds the lactase enzyme capacity of the small intestine. Instead, excess undigested lactose passes through the small intestines into the large intestine where it is fermented by a bacteria called colinic flora. The fermentation of the lactose in the large intestine produces hydrogen and methane which can lead to bloating, gas, and diarrhea. These symptoms are caused by a very low activity of lactase in the intestines.
Young children who have lactose intolerance are very rare. The amount of lactase enzyme a body produces generally reaches a maximum immediately after birth and then decreases in the majority of people after their body adjusts during the ages of 3-15. A stool test is used to test lactose intolerance in young children. For young children, the breath test is not as accurate because they usually have a tendency to get dehydrated which can cause diarrhea.
The reasons for an onset of lactose intolerance are generally unknown. However, there is a general belief that by consuming small amounts of lactose frequently over a period of time, lactose intolerance can be improved. Whole milk and chocolate milk appear to be tolerated better than low fat milk because the fat content of whole milk and chocolate milk slows the rate of gastric emptying. Previous attempts at improving the symptoms of lactose intolerance have met with some success. See, e.g., Published U.S. Patent Application No. 0020034496 The present invention builds upon this previous success.